Reamer and Dream Team Transform Children’s Medical Center
When Alexis Reamer joined Children’s Medical Center as director of counseling services two years ago, there were two licensed counselors and there needed to be significant growth for the doors to stay open.
Still, Reamer envisioned five offices, each with a fully integrated model that included an embedded therapist.
“Today, I have therapists in five offices,” she said. “Four therapists in Greenville, one in Simpsonville, one in Powdersville, Travelers Rest, and Greer.”
Business booms when the right services can meet the growing, diverse needs of clients.
And that is precisely what Reamer and her team have perfected.
“Our services are completely based on community needs,” Reamer said. “In addition to individual and family services, we offer unique group therapy sessions. This summer, we unfolded a group therapy series that targeted high school students who are having trouble socializing.”
The five-week series was offered to a closed group of clients.
“There is a lot to be said about the post-COVID generation,” Reamer explained. “That was a life event that no one was prepared for — the tight quarters, parents putting on their teacher hats — that was just the start.”
“Often, the problems had always been there, but COVID took what was dormant and brought it to the surface,” she added. “After a gap in socialization, depression set in; many children had to fend for themselves. Society also tended to be more competitive, which contributed to their inability to adjust smoothly.”
While CMC accepts community referrals, most clients, whose ages range from 2 to 26 years old, come as referrals from doctors who are part of the practice.
“The clients we see most are struggling with anxiety, depression, transition issues, and family dynamics,” Reamer explained. “We also have clients with chronic diseases, ADHD, and/or undiagnosed autism.”
Overuse and misuse of social media is at the heart of several clients’ problems, Reamer added. “Parents need to be more tech and social media savvy so they can know what their children are getting into. We have 6- to 10-year-olds who are getting into things that their parents are not aware of. This exposure is detrimental to their mental health.”
Because the CMC takes Medicare and private insurance, the center can really meet community needs. Without being handcuffed by the limits of self-pay, patients can take advantage of the integrative care that the counseling department has to offer.
“The biggest benefit is the fact that physicians work collaboratively,” Reamer said. “The patient is at the center, and depending on the patient’s needs, a therapist, pediatrician, and/or psychiatrist can offer the best whole person care. We really offer ideal, integrated care in one place.”
Reamer is proud of Children’s Medical Center. “There is a good culture here and the counselors are outstanding,” she said. “The departments get together once a month for group supervision and they lean on each other for peer support. Everyone is in an environment where they can grow together. I will continue to pour in as much as they will let me.”
AT-A-GLANCE: Alexis Reamer
- Licensed professional counselor supervisor with over 15 years of experience in the mental health field.
- Holds two master’s degrees from Grand Canyon University — one in professional counseling and another in addiction counseling.
- Earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from Saint Ambrose University.
- Remains committed to fostering emotional well-being and resilience in individuals of all ages.
- Loves ice cream, especially mint chocolate chip and vanilla with cookie dough.
